Design Center of the Philippines Marks 10th Year of International Design Conference with "Designing for The Pluriverse

IDC 2026: Design Center Marks 10th International Design Conference

The Design Center of the Philippines celebrates a decade of thought leadership with the 10th International Design Conference (IDC) on September 18, 2026, at the Foro de Intramuros, City of Manila.

This year’s conference theme, “Designing for the Pluriverse,” draws inspiration from academic Arturo Escobar’s framework of design as a world-making practice. Rooted in archipelagic thinking, pluralism, justice, and care for the Earth, IDC 2026 examines how design can accommodate coexisting ways of living, creating, and knowing—offering a model of interconnectedness without a single dominant center.

Keynote Speakers Lineup

The conference gathers international and local experts to discuss cultural identity, sustainability, and indigenous knowledge:

• Dr. Jefa Greenaway: Indigenous Australian architect and founding director of Greenaway Architects, specializing in integrating Aboriginal knowledge systems into built environments.
• Dr. Tita Larasati: Indonesian industrial designer and educator at the Bandung Institute of Technology, focusing on sustainable design, material innovation, and community-driven solutions.
• Dr. Grace Nono: Filipino ethnomusicologist, performing artist, and President of the Tao Foundation for Culture & Arts, bringing practice-based perspectives rooted in Philippine cultural traditions.

Conference Highlights & Executive Insight

Alongside keynote addresses, IDC 2026 features local presenters across various disciplines and interactive, participatory activations throughout the day to make conceptual frameworks tangible through reflection and making.

“This year, true to our positioning as a thought-leadership event, we are asking a bigger question: what becomes possible when we recognize that there is more than one way to understand the world, and more than one way to design its future?” says Rhea Matute, Executive Director of the Design Center of the Philippines. “Designing for the Pluriverse reflects our belief that the diversity of our people, cultures, and knowledge systems is something we can design with.”

The International Design Conference is free and open to the public. Interested attendees can register at 

https://bit.ly/joinidc2026.